December 13, 1991
Dear Editor,
"And the glory, the glory of the Lord, shall be revealed!"
'Thisis is how one of the many familiar songs in Handel's Messiah starts out. I am
so glad that this masterpiece written more than two centuries ago has become the most
successful and best-known oratorios ever. One cannot deny the power with which a divine
Spirit is poured out during its perfcirmance. Think of the millions of individuals who
have been invited by this composer in such a profound way to repent and come to Christ!
Recently I have come to believe that this work is probabIy the most
inspired combinations of music and lyrics, carrying and communicating the most complete
message, that exists upon the face of the earth today.
While it lays out in plainness the wretchedness of sin and its
consequences, it also portrays clearly that through Christ the effects sin and death are
swallowed up. It doesn't limit its message to the Savior's mission at his first coming,
when he made intercession for each individual born to the human family, but expounds His
temporal redemption that will be wrought at His Second Coming. It is this portion of
Handel's Messiah that our generation should take particular note, as it both
signifies the evils that bring captivity (which are unfortunately being accepted by far
too many who call themselves Christians) and sets forth the hope of deliverance through
Jesus Christ.
Here are the words from that portion of the Messiah which seems
to portray the era that we have now entered: "Why do the nations so furiously rage
together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and
the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed. Let us break
their bonds asunder, and cast away theii. yokes from us. He that dwelleth in heaven shall
laugh them to scorn; the Lord shall have them in derision. Thou shalt break them with a
lod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Hallelujah: for the
Lord Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and
of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Hallelujah!"
May we heed the warnings of the Lord's servants, the prophets, and not
be numbered among those who "imagine a vain thing." If the Lord Is coming the
second time to deliver his people from a temporal yoke -- the purpose of' the first coming
having been to burst spiritual bonds -- then we had ijetter not be numbered among those
who contribute to the chains tl'at Satan has laid and is still laying. This New World
Order that is being promoted by the nations of the world is an abomination that will not
be tolerated by the Lord. To think otherwise and act accordingly is to jeopardize one's
salvation, taking counsel "against the Lord."
Those who have been rallying for the cause of freedoni as epitomized by
the Founding Fathers of this great nation, can be bolstered by these win the Messiah,
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" When you are derided, remember that
the Lord too was treated similarly: "All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn; they
Shoot out their lips, and shake their heads."
In reflecting on these words, please do not rush to condemn them lest you add to the
sorrow of the Lord. Concerning his crucifixion, Handel chose the words: "Thy rebuke
hath broken His heart; lie is full of heaviness. He looked for some to have pity on Him,
but there was no man, neither found he any to comfort him." A similar verse elsewhere
goes on to say, concerning the Second Coming, "When I called again there was none of
you to answer." (D&C 133:67.) Consult the context of this verse and see if it
fits. But most importantly, come unto Christ, the Messiah of the first and second coming.
